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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on economics. Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your response you should: • express and support your opinion • make a contribution to the discussion An effective response will contain at least 100 words. You will have 10 minutes to write it.

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24 user-submitted samples available

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Task Overview

Professor

When people are asked about the most important discoveries or inventions made in the last two hundred years, they usually mention something very obvious, like the computer or the cell phone. But there are thousands of other discoveries or inventions that have had a huge impact on how we live today. What scientific discovery or technological invention from the last two hundred years—other than computers and cell phones—would you choose as being important? Why?

Student A

I mean, we’re so used to science and technology that we are not even aware of all the things we use in our daily lives. I would probably choose space satellites. This technology happened in the last hundred years, and it has become important for so many things. Just think about navigation, or telecommunications, or even the military.

Student B

I am thinking about medical progress. Like, for example, when scientists discovered things about healthy nutrition. I am thinking of identifying all the vitamins we need to stay healthy. I am not sure exactly when the vitamin discoveries happened, but I know they are very important. Our health is much better than it was 200 years ago.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

In my perspective, scientific discovery from the last two hundred years paves a solid foundation for our life today. For example, vaccine is the monumental invention that correlated with everyone's life. Especially when the famine period, people were readily infected by various unknown disease due to their unhealthy body and limited knowledge of hygiene. The population was dramatically decreased by the wide spread of disease. Fortunately, scientists invented vaccine that could help our body recognize the potential virus and practice the self-protection function of the immune system. The vaccine assured the population growth in certain degree by the means of strengthening body health. As a result, the world could be prosperous in the following decade.

Evaluation Result

1. 子项得分

Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.5 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.0 Language Use and Grammar: 4.0

2. 预估分数

26. 3 任务完成度

这篇文章在任务完成度方面表现良好,但仍有一些可以改进的地方。首先,文章没有明确提到经济学教授的问题,建议在开头部分简要引用问题以增强相关性。其次,在支持观点时,可以提供更多具体的例子和细节,以便让读者更好地理解你的观点。

Example 1: Instead of starting with "In my perspective...", you could start with "In response to the professor's question about important scientific discoveries or technological inventions, I believe that vaccines are a crucial invention in the last two hundred years."

Example 2: To provide more specific details, you could add a sentence like "For instance, the development of vaccines for diseases such as polio and measles has saved millions of lives and improved overall public health."

4. 文章结构与组织

文章的结构和组织方面表现较好,但仍有改进空间。首先,在引言部分可以更明确地指出文章将讨论哪个科学发现或技术发明。其次,在正文部分可以适当使用过渡词汇来使文章更连贯。最后,在结论部分可以总结文章的主要观点,并对未来产生影响的可能性进行简要讨论。

Example 1: To improve the introduction, you could write "This essay will discuss the importance of vaccines as a significant scientific discovery in the last two hundred years."

Example 2: To improve transitions between ideas, you could add a sentence like "Moreover, the widespread use of vaccines has not only ensured population growth but also contributed to the prosperity of the world in various aspects."

5. 语法批改

In my perspective, scientific discovery from the last two hundred years paves a solid foundation for our life today. For example, vaccine is the monumental invention that correlated with everyone's life. Especially when the famine period, people were readily infected by various unknown disease due to their unhealthy body and limited knowledge of hygiene. The population was dramatically decreased by the wide spread of disease. Fortunately, scientists invented vaccinea vaccine(This rule identifies whether the article 'a' is missing in a sentence.) that could help our body recognize the potential virus and practice the self-protection function of the immune system. The vaccine assured the population growth in certain degree by the means of strengthening body health. As a result, the world could be prosperous in the following decade.

Section Title: 6 Article Revision

In my opinion, the development of vaccines stands as a monumental scientific discovery from the last two hundred years that has significantly impacted our lives. Vaccines have played a crucial role in combating diseases, particularly during times of famine when people were more susceptible to infections due to malnutrition and limited knowledge of hygiene. The widespread prevalence of diseases led to a decline in population; however, the invention of vaccines enabled our immune systems to recognize potential viruses and defend against them effectively. Consequently, vaccines have contributed to population growth by improving overall health and well-being, paving the way for a more prosperous world in subsequent decades. (112 words)

In my perspective, opinion, the development of vaccines stands as a monumental scientific discovery from the last two hundred years paves that has significantly impacted our lives (revised for clarity and conciseness). Vaccines have played a solid foundation for our life today. For example, vaccine is the monumental invention that correlated with everyone's life. Especially crucial role in combating diseases, particularly during times of famine when the famine period, people were readily infected by various unknown disease more susceptible to infections due to their unhealthy body malnutrition (changed "unhealthy body" to "malnutrition" for specificity) and limited knowledge of hygiene. The population was dramatically decreased by widespread prevalence of diseases led to a decline in population; however, the wide spread invention of disease. Fortunately, scientists invented vaccine that could help vaccines enabled our body immune systems to recognize the potential virus viruses and practice the self-protection function of the immune system. The vaccine assured the defend against them effectively (rephrased for better flow). Consequently, vaccines have contributed to population growth by improving overall health and well-being (changed "strengthening body health" to "improving overall health and well-being" for clarity), paving the way for a more prosperous world in certain degree by the means of strengthening body health. As a result, the world could be prosperous in the following decade.subsequent decades (rephrased for better flow).

Title: 8 思维导图

Mindmap:

1. Introduction
   - Monumental scientific discovery
   - Impact on lives

2. Combating diseases
   - Times of famine
   - Susceptibility to infections

3. Decline in population
   - Widespread prevalence of diseases

4. Invention of vaccines
   - Immune system recognition and defense

5. Population growth and health improvement
   - Overall well-being and prosperity

6. Conclusion

Title: 9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
monumental/ˌmɒnjʊˈmɛntəl/adjectiveGreat in importance, extent, or size重要的,具有纪念意义的The development of vaccines is a monumental scientific discovery.
susceptible/səˈsɛptəbəl/adjectiveLikely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing易受影响的,易受伤害的People were more susceptible to infections due to malnutrition and limited knowledge of hygiene.
prevalence/ˈprɛvələns/nounThe fact or condition of being prevalent; commonness流行,盛行The widespread prevalence of diseases led to a decline in population.
immune system/ɪˈmjuːn ˈsɪstəm/nounThe body's defense against infectious organisms and other invaders免疫系统The invention of vaccines enabled our immune systems to recognize potential viruses.
defend/dɪˈfɛnd/verbTo protect from harm or danger防御,保卫Vaccines help our immune systems defend against harmful viruses effectively.
consequently/ˈkɒnsɪkwəntli/adverbAs a result因此,结果Consequently, vaccines have contributed to population growth by improving overall health.
well-being/ˈwɛlbiːɪŋ/nounThe state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy健康,幸福Vaccines have improved overall well-being, paving the way for a more prosperous world.
prosperous/ˈprɒspərəs/adjectiveSuccessful in material terms; flourishing financially繁荣的,兴旺的The invention of vaccines has led to a more prosperous world in subsequent decades.
hygiene/ˈhaɪdʒiːn/nounConditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness卫生,保健Limited knowledge of hygiene made people more susceptible to infections.

Section Title: 6 Article Revision

In my opinion, the development of vaccines stands as a monumental scientific discovery from the last two hundred years that has significantly impacted our lives. Vaccines have played a crucial role in combating diseases, particularly during times of famine when people were more susceptible to infections due to malnutrition and limited knowledge of hygiene. The widespread prevalence of diseases led to a decline in population; however, the invention of vaccines enabled our immune systems to recognize potential viruses and defend against them effectively. Consequently, vaccines have contributed to population growth by improving overall health and well-being, paving the way for a more prosperous world in subsequent decades.

How Academic Discussion Is Scored

The TOEFL Academic Discussion task is evaluated based on the official ETS scoring rubric. AI evaluation analyzes each response across multiple dimensions.

Relevance & Contribution

Does the response address the question and contribute meaningfully to the discussion?

Language Use

Grammar accuracy, vocabulary range, and sentence structure quality.

Development & Support

Are ideas well-developed with specific examples and clear reasoning?

Common Patterns Across Responses

Based on analysis of user submissions for this task, here are common patterns observed in student responses.

Many students provide clear opinions but lack specific supporting examples.

Strong responses directly reference the reading passage and other speakers' viewpoints.

Higher-scoring responses use varied sentence structures and academic vocabulary.

Time management is a key factor — responses that feel rushed tend to score lower on development.

Learning Tips

1

Read the prompt carefully and identify all parts of the question before writing.

2

Reference the reading passage and the other students' opinions in your response.

3

Use specific examples to support your main point — avoid generic statements.

4

Aim for 120-150 words. Longer responses are not always better; clarity and focus matter more.

5

Practice timed responses (10 minutes) to build fluency under exam conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TOEFL Academic Discussion task?
The TOEFL Academic Discussion task requires you to contribute to an online classroom discussion. You'll read a professor's question and other students' responses, then write your own post expressing and supporting your opinion in about 10 minutes.
How is the Academic Discussion task scored?
The task is scored on a scale of 0-5 based on relevance to the discussion, quality of language use (grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure), and how well you develop and support your ideas with specific examples and reasoning.
What are the user samples on this page?
These are real responses submitted by TOEFL test-takers who practiced this question on LingoLeap. Each sample has been evaluated by our AI scoring engine, which provides a score and detailed feedback on strengths and areas for improvement.
How accurate is the AI evaluation?
LingoLeap's AI evaluation engine is trained on official ETS scoring rubrics and calibrated against human rater scores. While no automated system is perfect, it provides reliable feedback for practice purposes and helps identify specific areas for improvement.
How can I practice this Academic Discussion task?
You can practice by signing up for a free LingoLeap account. Write your own response to this exact question, submit it, and receive instant AI evaluation with detailed feedback on your writing.
How long should my Academic Discussion response be?
Aim for 120-150 words. The task gives you 10 minutes to write your response. Focus on clarity, supporting your opinion with specific examples, and referencing the discussion context rather than writing a longer response.

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